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November 2011 Rocket Ship Ska Trip Archives

RINGROLLED! That’s what you got in Hour 3 to kick off an all-Japanese 4(+1)@4, followed by an all-new GotchaSKAvered selection for November, the Spencer Davis hit Keep On Running, actually written by Jamaica’s Wilfred (Jackie) Edwards. It’s delivered this week by Giuliano Palma the Bluebeaters. Jackie himself remade his smash back in the ’70s, and that’s coming up later this month. New self-titled Froggie bumper Mutant Frogs debuted during the Ooh, sandwiched between Ken Stranger and Derrick Morgan. And in the Voov, Abbe Lane asks, Who, Me? …yes, YOU… and Dizzy, Gil, YMCK and more to boot!

In addition to the second Ringroll in as many weeks (Mayonaka by a live-onstage Jihen), three more live cuts made up this week’s 4@4. Gaz Mayall’s Trojans GotchaSKAvered with Keep On Running Week 2, and the set following that was brought to you by the letter ‘P’… Sherwood relaxed in the Voov with a couple of lo-o-o-ongies by Steve Turre and Stefon Harris’ fabulous Ninety Miles outfit. In the Ooh, here comes Ringo… but not Shiina! The Skatalites, inspired by Western gunslinger mythology, transformed a traditional Japanese folk song about apples into the kind of galloping ska romp that made ‘em famous. Justin Yap of Top Deck, an Arthur Lyman fan, had the ‘Lites arrange four tunes from the Taboo album, and Ringo Oiwake was one of ‘em.
Ringo rides!

11/17 in a nutshell…
Palemina (Smith, incidentally) gave us GotchaSKAvered with her 1978 take on Keep On Running, cut during what we at the RSST call Ska’s Lost Decade (roughly 1968-1978). We had a 4(+2)-in-a-row of ’60s Ska International, with tracks from, in order, the UK, Poland, US, Germany, and 2 more US prime cuts. Sherwood raided the annual KFAI Record Sale bins for a good chunk of his orbit (during which a cow jumped over the moon, and a dish… oh, you know the rest). The Ooh (Opening Oldies Hour) went slightly off the rails in a couple of spots, but whaddya expect in space, anyway… gravity, perhaps? Our maneuvering thrusters put us back on the tracks in short order. By the way, just what are tracks doing way out here? Hmmm…

11/24 in a nutshell…
Just in time for Thanksgiving, a 4@4 loosely themed around Togetherness, followed by Jackie Edwards GotchaSKAvering his own Keep On Running in a reggae style to wrap up November. Meanwhile, on Sherwood’s Planet, is it a Mina or Mynah bird? Depends on which band you ask! The String-A-Longs: Mina. Stereolab: Mynah. Among other highlights, including a vibe-off between Cal Tjader and Dave Pike, and YOU, dear skassenger, are the winner. In the Ooh, Bunny & Skitter once again issue their timeless drunk-driving warning (you might also want to avoid the wheel if you’ve been tryppin’ da phan-tastic bigtime). Stay safe this holiday season and you won’t make the Evening News for all the wrong reasons.